More than 6000 electricians from across the UK contributed towards Europe’s largest ever electrical conference hosted by NICEIC and ELECSA.
The live cinema event saw a broadcast on the new 18th Edition wiring regulations beamed via satellite to 40 cinema screens simultaneously. It was said to be the first time ever such an event had taken place in the sector with contractors from Aberdeen to Plymouth getting involved and many more in between.
Several of the 40 cinema screens sold out in advance with Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham, Southampton, Bristol and Leicester all recording more than 200 attendees at each location
NICEIC and ELECSA’s Marketing Director, Mark Smith, commented: “The introduction of a new standard within the industry is an important time for every electrician. We wanted to do something unique, affordable and easily accessible to help contractors gain an improved insight into the forthcoming changes.
“It was a genuine world first and I am delighted that contractors came along and got involved. We hope they enjoyed the experience of learning and developing their knowledge in this different format.”
The 18th Edition seminar was broadcast from the world famous Faraday Theatre, in The Royal Institution. Hosted by industry experts Darren Staniforth and Alan Wells the talk focused on the changes included in the new regulations and what it will mean for electricians in their day-to-day work.
It also included a section on the history of electricity, and how Michael Faraday demonstrated his discoveries to the public back in 1824.
Mark continued: “We wanted to create a cinematic experience that was technical based and informative with a bit of fun also. Since we were broadcasting from the iconic Faraday centre there was a natural link to provide viewers with some historical context about electricity, and the job contractors play in carrying on the work he started.”
The seminar was hosted by Ore Oduba from the BBC and featured some key insights from industry experts including; Mark Coles, Head of Technical Regulations at the IET, Robin Earl from Dehn, Simon Rawlinson from Siemens and David Garrett from Electrium.
The seminar went through all seven sections of the new book with discussions on the major changes in each section. This included discussions on the introduction of Arc Fault Detection Devices (AFDDs) and Surge Protection Devices (SPDs) which have been included as recommendations to improve safety within certain electrical installations.
Mark concluded: “We wanted to try something new and on a grand scale, however, the most important part was that everyone got to see the same seminar and that we were able to communicate a single, consistent message to the industry, which will only increase electrical safety.
“The live cinema event was just another example of NICEIC and ELECSA leading the way in the industry to promote electrical safety.”
For more information about the 18th edition, including a technical overview of the changes, visit www.18edition.com.
